2026 is on Fire

-Hello friends! I've shifted this format to roughly quarterly updates with more frequent updates on my Instagram and Facebook pages - here is where you can get more details and behind the scenes info, while on socials you can get first notice/access about upcoming events, interviews, and projects. 

Now on to the Q1-Q2 update.... a little behind because 2026 is ON FIRE! (in more ways than one...)

If you haven't seen it on my socials or heard yet, I have hit a huge personal milestone and made my network television debut with a co-star role in NBC's Chicago Fire ep. 14014 "Hit and Run"! The episode is out on Peacock, and you'll see me as a concerned neighbor near the beginning of the episode, filling in Lieutenant Severide (Taylor Kinney) on dangerous falling debris in the neighborhood. It's a small role but a huge win, and I'd like to share a little behind the scenes of what goes into this sort of booking when you're not already a Hollywood 'name' actor.

Through my agents at Gray Talent Group, I have been auditioning for the NBC One Chicago shows since 2021, generally for 5 line or less co-star roles, or the occasional bigger guest star role. In Chicago, landing a role of any size on one of these shows is a major goal for many working actors, and I know for some folks they've been auditioning to get their first role much longer than I have. Over the last year or so, I've been 'pinned' (which means the final group of maybe 3-5 options presented to producers) a handful of times, and have been eagerly crossing my fingers that I was close to booking one. When I finally got the news I'd booked the 'Neighbor' role in December last year, I nearly cried  - absolutely overjoyed! We filmed roughly a week later just before the winter holiday filming hiatus (which these shows go on every year), and then I sat on the news silently until the actual episode aired on March 11th. My agents shared out the announcement I'd be on the episode the same day, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief, tuned in, and got to see myself share the screen on network TV with actors I've been watching and admiring for years.

So why stay silent? Probably the most important, NBC has pretty strict NDAs about what you can share. The other key reason I didn't even 'vague post' about it, was out of fear and a touch of imposter syndrome that my scene was going to get cut. For smaller co-star roles (5 lines or less), getting 'cut for time' from TV shows is incredibly common - and in fact I've seen it happen to several of my actor friends, who had to inform their loved ones in disappointment, cancelling watch parties and making public announcements that their big moment wasn't airing after all. Imposter syndrome is real. I've never done network TV before! What if my performance wasn't "good enough" to make the cut? Was I too boring, too big, or just not "TV material"? Thankfully the editors saw fit to keep my scene in the episode, and the outpouring of support from friends and family has been really wonderful.

The week the episode came out, I had a lot of exciting actor news & work tumble out all at once - table reads for upcoming projects, filming for my next Kissing Kastles feature, a new commercial coming out, and an industrial shoot (more on all those later). But the reality is that week was a busy 'pop' between weeks of quiet. And this particular milestone comes after nearly 5 years of auditioning for the same One Chicago shows, including a full change up of casting offices during that time. Booking Chicago Fire was super exciting - I am meteorically thrilled to finally say I've been on network TV and am officially SAG-Eligible. To the other working actors out there hustling for that next milestone, I just want to say I see you and the less visible and uncelebrated wins; and those wins matter just as much as the splashy ones. Keep going, and don't forget to actually live your life between auditions ;) ​

In other news, I've been keeping busy on the indie film front!

~Drum roll please~ VIC EFFECTS with Kissing Kastles Productions has officially landed distribution, with X4 Pictures!!! Getting physical and streaming distribution for a low budget indie is no small feat, and we are stoked the world can now watch our 'odyssey of sound and fury'.  We've had some great recent reviews from Graeae Horror as well as Del Gibson with Horror Central (who also recently reviewed Evil Lurks). Grab a copy or check us out on streaming (link)!

​Next up for Kissing Kastles Productions is the horror drama HUG THESE BONES, which is currently filming. As I mentioned in my last post, I play a supporting character Sasha in this one, who happens to be a professional slap fighter! I already got to film my "Battle Slap" scenes with stunt woman and actor extraordinaire Destiny Campos, along with some other faces Evil Lurks fans might recognize. I shoot my final scenes later this month, and then soon after the film will go into post-production. More to come as the film progresses!

Refinery Film's FASHION KILLERZ will be kicking off filming in May, with some recently announced casting updates! Make sure to follow the official Refinery Films Facebook page for the latest updates, behind the scenes peeks, and opportunities to get involved. We had an initial table read last month, with another coming up soon and I can already tell this is going to stand out among the indie slashers. 

In the commercial world, the fine folks at Demo Duck having been seeing a lot of me over the last few months, shooting 3 additional concepts for Rippling (for a total of 5) in addition to a new spot for Ellucian Student just last week. I love working with this easy-going team of professionals who put out some really high quality work. Check out my Youtube playlist of the Rippling clips I've gathered so far!

And finally, I've been lucky enough to get some additional repeat work in 2026 from industrial (internal video) work for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, as well as McGraw Hill. I'm always thrilled when a client wants to bring me back in for more!

Phew - if you've made it this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart! See you around for my next update, and remember please follow me on Instagram and Facebook for the most current news!

Cheers <3
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